The midfielder, who recently left Arsenal after a series of injury-plagued seasons, is currently facing serious allegations in the UK. Partey has been charged with multiple counts of rape stemming from alleged incidents between 2021 and 2022.
He was granted conditional bail and is expected to appear in court on Monday, September 2 at the Harrow Crown Court in London. This court appearance has cast doubts over his availability for national duty, particularly ahead of Ghana’s away fixture against Chad on September 4 in N’Djamena.
However, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has moved to clarify the situation and offer reassurance to fans.
GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum, in an interview with 3Sports, stated confidently:
“Thomas will be with us. He will be here on time. We’ve spoken to him, we’ve spoken to his handlers and they have assured us that he will be in camp on time to join us for the trip to N’Djamena.”
Despite growing uncertainty surrounding Partey’s legal commitments, the GFA remains optimistic about his participation in both qualifiers. According to Twum, the midfielder has given firm assurances about his readiness to join the national team after his court obligations.
“So we are expecting him[Partey] to arrive and join the rest of the team for the first game as well as the second game on Monday, September 8th.”
Ghana will face Chad away on September 4 before returning home to host Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 8, in what will be their final match of the September international window.
The Black Stars currently top Group I in the African World Cup qualifying series, holding a slim three-point lead over second-placed Comoros. The inclusion of Partey should it materialize will serve as a major boost to Otto Addo’s side as they look to secure vital wins in their quest for a fifth World Cup appearance.
